Paz Brennan – Commercial Director

June 2024

I look back upon my time in crewing with fond memories. In 2006, I started ‘lugging boxes’ at age 20 whilst in my first year at university (the first uni job was handing flyers out outside all the venues whilst hoping to grab a free ticket). The crewing firm, now defunct, was based down in Wimbledon, with a huge warehouse where we used to have our training in. I would jump on my bike from my house in Cricklewood and make my way to all the jobs across town. Come wind, rain, or shine, day, or night, I would be there. I remember great shifts such as a production rehearsal set up for Radiohead, The Royal Albert Hall and the TPI Award Show de-rig (an award show where I would years later attend as an award winner twice with Spartan Crew). From early on, I listened to those above me, I learned from my mistakes and I was constantly seeking to learn new skills. This eventually took me all over the world working in the music industry as a touring sound engineer and backline tech. One of the many satisfactions I get in running Spartan Crew, is when I see a little bit of the 20 year old me in some of the crew. The grit, the determination, the willingness to sweat it out and ready to give it 110%, I get inspired by their dedication. After all, as an employer, it’s not just me investing in my staff, they themselves are also investing in Spartan Crew as a place for them to come to work.

In today’s fast-paced world, where instant gratification is often the norm, the idea of starting a career from the bottom of the ladder might seem outdated or even discouraging to many young people, and I often see people try to circumvent the ‘crewing’ route to the industry, often via formal education or…. misguidance! There are however, many good reasons why crewing can be one of the best decisions for long-term career success and personal growth. Here’s a list of reasons why:

• Time management

‘On time is late, early is on time and late is just unacceptable’ is a message I saw on a placard in a crew room somewhere in the states once. 

 I repeat……….! This is a simple but hugely important trait, vitally important in this, and all other industries.

• Developing a Strong Work Ethic

Crewing isn’t easy, infact, it can be quite challenging, both physically and mentally. If you can work to this ever changing schedule, you can adapt to anything.

• Building Resilience and Patience

Things don’t always work out the way they should: the truck may be late, some kit is missing off the order, the goal posts have changed; things happen. Crewing enables us to be able to adapt to these changing environments and helps us to navigate and plan for unforeseen issues.

• Appreciating Every Role

We get to see events from all angles, from festivals with staging, lighting, video, audio, to marathons which need miles of barriers, to comprehensive seating structures. One of the best pieces of advice I got as a young keyboard tech on my first tour aged 23, wide eyed soaking up every moment, was that we were a small cog in a much larger production and we needed to consider and respect all other departments, everyone is trying to achieve the same goal. 

• Earning your stripes

There aren’t many careers where you can literally put yourself in the firing line in the blink of an eye and you can sink, or you can swim. In most corporate office environments it takes years to prove yourself, but in events all it takes is for the monitor engineer to miss a flight, and suddenly it’s your time to shine..

Conclusion

Be curious, read the manuals, never stop asking questions, be honest, be on time, get your hands dirty, take accountability, learn from your mistakes, do everything with a smile on your face, make friends, and above all, enjoy the ride!

Think you have what it takes to work on world class events? Drop us a line on recruitment@spartancrew9270.live-website.com